Can the Hawks compete with the Cavs, Magic, and Celtics as is?

[NineOhTheRino]

So instead of focusing on making the playoffs the new goal has to be to compete with the top-tier teams in the East. The Celtics will be OK for at least 3 years but the Cavs and Magic are here to stay. Oops... I forgot to mention that the Bulls look to be serious too.

Edited May 10, 2009 by NineOhTheRino

[CavalierObserver]

I just made a thread, we'll see if it gets past the moderators, but you guys still need a C and a better fitting PG. You need a PG, Johnson at 2, Smith at 3, Horford at 4, and then Flip, Williams, and Pachulia coming off the bench. That's a strong unit. If I were a Hawk fan, I would want AI or Kidd- someone that can penetrate off the dribble. The Cavs have shown what dribble penetration can do for an offense in getting easy shots and getting to the foul line.

[Joker]

Problem is when the Heat get experience and the Wizards get healthy by talent alone they will pass us as well. Celtics have a couple of years left and the Cavs are Lebron James. The Magic have the best defensive Center in the game who could be very good on offense as well. Our divison is probably tougher then the conference.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Get a new coach and we can evaluate it seriously.

[MaceCase]

Presently looking at all those teams they really only have 1-2 elements more than we have.

You look at the Celtics they have:

1)Their core but an aging one

2) Dominant PG

3) No big man depth and their bench as a whole has been exposed

The Magic on the other hand have:

1) Dominant big man

2) Developing PG

3) Depth at all positions

4) Lack of rebounding

The Cavaliers have:

1) All world player

2) Aging big man depth

3) Shooters

This is just listing off my head without thinking too deep but you can see that the Cavs only beat us because they have depth at big man and shooters to compliment Lebron. The Magic beat us beause they have a dominant post presence and shooters to compliment him. The Celtics have their core and a PG to feed them but each of those teams wil be in flux. Boston is aging and have zero real depth behind their core just a bunch of role players playing above their heads. Orlando is in flux with Hedo's contract and Cleveland is in flux because all their skilled bigs are aging. I'm not worried about Chicago because a major part of their offense is a FA and outside of Miller have no skilled big men. All that seperates us from them are these things: a penetrating, distributive, defensive minded point (Rondo) to compliment our core which is a mix of shooters and slashers. A few defensive, rebounding big men off the bench (Battie/Gortat, Smith/Wallace, Powe/Davis) to give us tougness off the bench and shooters (House/Scalabrine, Redick/Lee, Boobie/Szcerbiack) also off the bench.

To summarize what do we need to be in the same discussion as them? If we maintain our starting core of young players all we need are a defensive, slashing PG(Hinrich/Felton/Kidd), shooters (Gordon/Curry), and big man depth (Wallace/Wilcox/Foster). Fortunately with a competent GM all that can be addressed through the draft and free agency.

Oh and of course competent coaches......

[HawksBalla]

We can hang with Boston because they are aging and will become more injury-prone. Who knows how much Pierce, Allen, and Garnett have left.

No one really scares me on the Magic except Dwight Howard. They dont have the depth to exploit us, our wings match up well with theirs, and they dont have a good-enough pg to exploit Bibby.

The Cavs are going to run away with this conference year after yearunless Mo Williams or Lebron get hurt. or Lebron leaves for Nyc. They have tons of depth, and thats going to continue a la Spurs or Lakers. Vets will take pay cuts to get the exposure and chance at a ring that the Cavs will offer. Lebron is only going to get better, become a better jump shooter. They have guards to exploit our lack of depth. They have shooters to make us pay for doubling Lerbon. They have the height, size and depth to punish our bigs.

The Heat have a ways to go. The Bulls are going to lose Gordon, so that will reset them.

So basically, we have to now design our team to beat Clevland. We are going to need another shooter, another slasher, more big man depth, and another scorer. That might come from our existing lineup, or from new players. But until we fill those weaknesses, we going to lose to Clevland, along with the rest of the conference.

[Iman]

I don't think we are as far off as it seems. This year we were injured, the Cavs and Lebron are on a mission, and our Coach sux. I thought we always matched up well with Orlando and most of the other Eastern teams.

A Coach, good health, and using Bibby's money to get someone like Kaman and we'd be right there assuming we resign Flip and maybe pick up a Jarrett Jack like pg also. I doubt we make that many moves so we'll probably not be much better next year. Maybe the next year we might make a bigger move like Horford for Bosh.

[HAWKSFAN89]

As is? No, definitely not, and it has been proven. We need more pieces to the puzzle.

[LOL_Hawks]

We really aren't far off at all. We are a LEGITIMATE CENTER (and a new coach, preferably) away from being major contenders in the East.

[Plainview1981]

No. If you want to see a real team go watch the Houston Rockets. They're not without Tmac and Yao and are STILL giving the Lakers all they can handle.

[Plainview1981]

We really aren't far off at all. We are a LEGITIMATE CENTER (and a new coach, preferably) away from being major contenders in the East.

And a legit PG.... And a legit coach... better bench... A center.... Marvin or Josh needs to be replace because they suck as a one/two punch at the forward positions.

[mattlanta]

I just made a thread, we'll see if it gets past the moderators, but you guys still need a C and a better fitting PG. You need a PG, Johnson at 2, Smith at 3, Horford at 4, and then Flip, Williams, and Pachulia coming off the bench. That's a strong unit. If I were a Hawk fan, I would want AI or Kidd- someone that can penetrate off the dribble. The Cavs have shown what dribble penetration can do for an offense in getting easy shots and getting to the foul line.

Smith at the three? :computer8:

[AHF]

Smith at the three? :computer8:

Agreed.